Rockland Lake State Park visitors enjoy a smoke-free atmosphere at the south pool on Sunday. / Alex Taylor/The Journal News

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| A Journal News editorial

Metro-North joined in banning smoking on train station platforms in 2012. Now, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has banned e-cigarettes from its Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road trains. / Mark Vergari/The Journal News

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• View the playground smoking ban legislation; go to assembly.state.ny.us and enter the bill number — A04025 or S01643 — in the Quick Bill window. • View the no-smoking policy for New York state parks and historic sites, plus a list of facilities affected, at the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; go to nysparks.com and click on “Inside Our Agency” to find the document. • POW’R Against Tobacco, a community partnership coalition, is dedicated to reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease and other tobacco-related illnesses by lowering the prevalence of tobacco use, advertising, sponsorship and promotion. Find out about coalitions in Putnam, Orange, Westchester and Rockland. Visit powragainsttobacco.org and click on the appropriate county. • state Smokers Quitline: 866-NY-QUITS (866-697-8487) • state Smokers Quitsite: nysmokefree.com

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As we approach the 10th anniversary of the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act, New York’s moved on to help keep people’s lives smoke-free in public places — even outdoors —and all are breathing better for it.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed a bill that bans smoking in playgrounds during the day, when children are present. Municipalities are allowed to enact stricter regulations, according to the law, which takes effect in October.

And this summer, a ban on outdoor smoking is in full swing at New York’s 79 state parks and 37 historic sites, after full implementation stalled last year amid lawsuits. State parkland playgrounds and swimming pools, most beaches, pavilions, boardwalks and athletic fields are now smoke free, state officials said, and smoking is prohibited within 50 feet of buildings. Certain campsites and other open areas still allow smoking. Violations can bring fines of up to $250 from law enforcement.

The state park ban includes all beaches in the Palisades and Taconic regions. There’s also no smoking at the Bear Mountain Zoo, the Rockefeller State Park Reserve and various pools and playgrounds. There’s no smoking on the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie; maybe a smoking ban can be considered for the future walking/cycling path planned for the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

“We heard loud and clear from the public that they want expanded smoke-free areas to better enjoy New York state’s natural and breathtaking parks,” state parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said.

Part of the culture

Such bans hardly shock in the current culture. Big malls, like Palisades Center in West Nyack, and many office buildings no longer allow smoking on their properties.

Even smokers see the value. “Believe it or not, I think it’s a good thing. No one around me should have to bear my secondhand smoke,” Queens resident Nelson Rivera told The Journal News on Sunday during a visit to Rockland Lake State Park.

That shift in New York started with the Clean Indoor Air Act, which took effect July 24, 2003. It prohibits smoking in virtually all workplaces, including restaurants and bars. In the years since, smoking rates have declined among adults and attempts to quit have increased, state Department of Health statistics show. That’s good news for New Yorkers’ health and taxpayers’ wallets. Smoking-related illnesses cost billions each year to treat statewide.

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Secondhand smoke is classified as a “known human carcinogen” by the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization. Secondhand smoke can trigger asthma attacks in children, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children whose parents smoke get sick more often.

The greatest decline in smoking rates has been among young adults aged 18-24, according to the American Cancer Society. That means fewer new customers for Big Tobacco. Of course, where there’s a market, there’s a product.

E-cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices used to inhale vaporized liquid nicotine instead of tobacco smoke. Though they are marketed as a “safe” alternative, with added flavors like bubble gum that target a youth market, the Food and Drug Administration has expressed concerns about the products. The agency continues to study e-cigarettes and has stated it intends to issue guidelines that would regulate them as a tobacco product.

New York has moved ahead with smart restrictions. E-cigarettes cannot be sold to those under 18, and the state has banned “smoking” them within 100 feet of a school. This month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authoritybanned e-cigarettes on Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road trains; smoking is banned on commuter rail trains and platforms.

More can be done. The state needs to follow up with stricter regulations on the sale of flavored tobacco products, such as chocolate cigars, that are growing in use among teens. State officials also should keep an eye on the impact of New York City’s plan to ban tobacco sales to those under 21 — first enacted by the tiny village of Haverstraw, and then rescinded under pressure of lawsuits from deep-pocketed Big Tobacco.

We’ve seen the benefits from 10 years of smoke-free restaurants, bars and other indoor spaces. Actions to curb smoking in outdoor public spaces will make us healthier, too. New Yorkers benefit when the state invests in making it harder to start — and easier to quit — using tobacco.